[World Environment Day] Partner Recruitment Program Launched – First 10 Units Offered for Sale to 'Co-Creation Partner' Companies

JOYCLE Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Yutaro Koyanagi; hereinafter 'the Company') will begin the limited first sale of 10 units of its small upcycling plant 'JOYCLE BOX' on June 5th. The Company is recruiting companies, local governments, and research institutions considering an initial purchase as 'Co-Creation Partners', aiming to jointly promote the social implementation of decentralized infrastructure that can 'convert resources locally without transporting or incinerating'. Additionally, a special report summarizing past demonstration experiment results and adoption achievements has been released today. Background: Structural Challenges in Global Resource Circulation Global waste generation is on a rapid increase. According to projections by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the amount of municipal solid waste generated worldwide is expected to increase by approximately 80%, from about 2.1 billion tons per year in 2023 to about 3.8 billion tons by 2050 (*1). The conventional treatment model, which relies on centralized large-scale incineration facilities and long-distance transportation, is beginning to show its limits in many countries. Looking domestically, Japan has 1,004 waste incineration facilities. Many of these facilities, built in the 1990s as a measure against dioxins, have exceeded their standard useful life of 30 years and are approaching the time for renewal (*2). At the same time, the workforce supporting these operations is shrinking. The shortage of truck drivers responsible for collection and transportation was already approximately 103,000 in 2017, and this shortage is expected to expand to approximately 278,000 by 2028. More recently, the effective job openings-to-applicants ratio for automobile driving workers was 2.72 times (2024), more than double the average for all occupations (1.21 times) (*3). The conventional 'transport and incinerate' model is beginning to suffer from a triple burden of facilities, labor, and costs. The situation is even more severe in remote islands, mountainous areas, and during disasters. On remote islands, securing incineration facilities and final disposal sites that comply with dioxin measures is a major challenge, and the national government has been promoting development (*4). The removal of waste from the islands and long-distance transportation become essential, leading to significantly higher processing costs and environmental burdens compared to the mainland. The burden on the infrastructure supporting local life and industry is increasing year by year. What is now required is a new, decentralized, and digitalized infrastructure that complements large-scale incineration facilities and can be completed locally. JOYCLE views World Environment Day as an opportunity to once again question society about this turning point, where such decentralized models are beginning to spread from 'a special option for some regions' to a 'social foundation supporting the life and economy of each region'. About the Small Upcycling Plant 'JOYCLE BOX' JOYCLE BOX is a small upcycling plant that converts waste into resources locally through pyrolysis, without transporting or incinerating it. By installing it at facilities, business sites, or in communities, it shortens transportation distances, reduces the burden on drivers, and achieves resource circulation in a form that allows upcycling into inorganic resources. Operational status and environmental load reduction effects are visualized through the proprietary data platform 'JOYCLE BOARD'. By utilizing DX, it provides end-to-end support, from understanding operational status to quantifying environmental value. ▼ Reference: APO (Asian Productivity Organization) 'P-Talk' appearance video (Product/Business Overview/English) ▼ Past Examples and Highlights for Social Implementation JOYCLE has been advancing demonstrations and social implementation in various fields, including local governments, remote islands, medical institutions, and logistics. Main examples are as follows (in no particular order). Ishikari City (Hokkaido): Confirmed stable operation of JOYCLE BOX in a cold region, targeting food waste from a school lunch center. Taketomi Island (Okinawa Prefecture): Demonstration of on-site resource recovery of food waste on a remote island. Okayama University Hospital: Conducted joint research at a medical institution. Kitakyushu City: Selected for the 'Corporate Transformation, Startup, Growth Support Project' for two consecutive years. KDDI Starlink Business: Demonstration of disaster-response decentralized infrastructure in collaboration with communication infrastructure. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance: Concluded a comprehensive partnership agreement. aioESG × Ishikari City: ESG contribution impact demonstration. Japan-Vietnam Innovation Challenge (supported by METI, etc.): Selected and signed an MOU with LoopNet Asia. Woven by Toyota: Selected for the 'Toyota Woven City Challenge'. About the JOYCLE BOX Limited First Sale and Co-Creation Partner Recruitment A purchase consideration meeting where JOYCLE BOX can be inspected will be held for companies, local governments, and research institutions considering research and development, sales expansion collaboration, etc. Item Details Number of Units Offered 10 units (limited quantity) Target Companies, local governments, and research institutions working on in-facility resource circulation demonstration, new business development, disaster response BCP construction, regional model building, etc. Form of Provision Paid (details such as conditions and duration of implementation support will be provided individually) Application Please contact us via the Co-Creation Partner inspection meeting below or our inquiry form (https://joycle.net/#contact) *Depending on the content of your inquiry, our staff will individually explain usage scenarios and introduction conditions. Date and Time: July 28, 2026 (Tuesday) 15:00-16:00 Venue: Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture *Detailed venue and access information will be provided to applicants later. Application Method: Please write 'Inspection Meeting Participation Request' in the content field of our inquiry form (https://joycle.net/#contact) and send it. *This inspection meeting will close once capacity is reached. We recommend applying early if you are considering participation. Release of 'Special Report' Summarizing Past Achievements A special report summarizing challenges in global resource circulation, the potential of decentralized infrastructure, and examples of JOYCLE BOX has been released. You can select and download the document from the page below. Download here Please select 'Special Report' Representative Comment: Yutaro Koyanagi, President and Representative Director, JOYCLE Inc. 'I believe World Environment Day is a day to confront global-scale challenges and to re-examine the actions of each one of us. Our company has been building up the social implementation of JOYCLE BOX in places with the most severe constraints on waste management infrastructure, such as local governments, remote islands, disaster sites, and medical institutions. This partnership formation through the limited first offering of 10 units is an opportunity to take a step forward towards a society where resources and joy circulate, together with the companies, local governments, and research institutions that will take on the challenge with us. Starting from World Environment Day, we will expand new partnerships. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you to the inspection meeting.' About JOYCLE Inc. JOYCLE aims to achieve the social implementation of next-generation decentralized infrastructure that integrates communication infrastructure, renewable energy, and resource circulation, based on the philosophy of 'Realizing a society where resources and joy circulate'. An infrastructure module centered on the JOYCLE BOX.